Jamshedpur, March 15: JVM workers staged a dharna at the Aambagan ground in Sakchi and took out a rally to district collectorate on Tuesday and blocked the gate for nearly 30 minutes to protest against government�s eviction drive in urban slums and delay in distributing ration cards.
The dharna was led by JVM district president Firoz Khan and party central secretary Abhay Singh wherein the recent eviction drive by the district administration at Agrico, Sidhgora, Birsanagar, Tinplate and Bhuiyandih was protested.
The JVM leaders demanded that the state government and the Chief Minister clearly state the government stand on ownership status for urban slums. They also asked the administration and the government to ensure that rehabilitation plans are made for affected persons before demolishing their settlement.
The JVM leaders also submitted a memorandum to the East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amitabh Kaushal addressed to Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
Abhay Singh said that Jharkhand government should set up a commission for displacement and rehabilitation in view of the mounting displacements caused by the anti-encroachment drive being run across the state.
He said the need of a commission is being felt because the displacement is being done in a very large number. In the event of a commission coming into existence, it would recommend the government as to exactly how to rehabilitate a family or an unauthorised colony if evicted in public interest.
He pointed out long before resorting to demolishing the unauthorised houses set up on encroached land, the commission will find out alternative sites for rehabilitating them.
Singh was addressing the meeting at a day-long dharna to protest the widespread displacement taken place in the leading cities in the state.
He said that the state government has a commitment toward the welfare of the people, and it just cannot sit and watch helplessly when slums and bustees set up unauthorised plots are razed in the name of beautifying the cities.